A STUDY by the Future Foundation has found that living alone is now the norm in the UK.

Just 20 years ago the traditional family unit household made up half of all households in the UK. But the foundation found after a major survey that more than 50% of modern households are now regarded as "single households" (either people living alone or just couples).

Despite that, however, families who do live together spend more time with each other. The study found that in the 1960s both parents spent 31 minutes a day with children on average, while in 2002 the figure was 75 minutes a day.

Jill Keep, spokeswoman for the National Family and Parenting Institute, said, "There are profound changes in family structure that have happened over the past 40 years but the majority of people in this country are still married.

"We should also remember that people are living longer and there is quite a long period after your children have left home when you would be classified as living in a single household."